Our mission is "To help student-athletes take responsibility for their futures through lessons learned on the playing field, in the classroom, and in service to others."

Welcome to the first edition of The Extra Point. This monthly e-newsletter is intended to give our academic coaches, head coaches and school administrators useful information about Play It Smart, resources for student-athletes and academic coaches alike, news from Play It Smart programs around the country, and reminders of approaching deadlines.

We want The Extra Point to be a valued communication tool, so we want to hear from you. If there is a topic you would like to see addressed, let us know. If you are doing something unique at your school, let us know. If you know of resources that could benefit other programs and academic coaches, let us know. If there are things you like or do not like about The Extra Point, let us know that as well. Help us make each issue better than the last.

Good luck with the start of your year, and enjoy The Extra Point.

Len Stachitas

Executive Director, Play It Smart

Vice President, National Football Foundation

Student Athlete of the Month

Each month Play It Smart schools recognize a student-athlete of the month. This student-athlete of the month is an individual who has achieved on and off the playing field.

These are the student-athletes for the month of September. Don't see your school represented? Make sure you honor a student-athlete for the month of October.

From the student-athlete of the month pool, Play It Smart will elect one student-athlete as the Play It Smart National Co-Captain. The Co-Captain best personifies excellence in the classroom, on the field, and in the community.

For excellence in the classroom, on the field, and in service to others.

MARK MILLER
Play It Smart
National Co-Captain

Read About Mark

Play It Smart Welcomes

Hue Nguyen

Hue Nguyen joined the Play It Smart team in August of 2007. As a Database Coordinator, Hue oversees the Play It Smart ORBIT database.

Prior to Play It Smart, Hue served as an AmeriCorp Vista member for Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. Her Buckingham Students Read

AmeriCorp service with Habitat involved managing Habitat's family information database, writing family stories, and assisting the grants department.

Hue's interest in non-profit organizations started back in her freshmen year at college when she volunteered for the Battered Women's Shelter. Since then, Hue has been involved with non profit organizations including the LSU Women's Center, Salvation Army, Richardson Chamber of Commerce, Habitat for Humanity, and now, Play It Smart.

Hue earned a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Disorder and Sociology from Louisiana State University in 2000 and received a Master's in Applied Sociology from University of Texas at Dallas in 2005

Grant Guidelines

Every team has policies and procedures that govern the way it operates. Team Play It Smart is no different. Our grant guidelines define how we award the Academic Referee touchdown Coach grant to member schools. The guideline contain information that will be helpful to schools who wish to be member schools for the 2008-09 school year. Please review the document and save a copy for your records. Grant Guidelines

Play It Smart Welcomes New Coaches

Training Group Photo Earlier this week Play It Smart welcomed a few new Academic Coaches to the family. These coaches took part in a training conference held in Irving, TX. The small size of the group gave the coaches plenty of one-on-one time with the Play It Smart staff. Kevin Malonson from the Dallas Princeton Review provided the coaches with excellent tools and tips to help them get their students prepared for the ACT, SAT, college admissions, and other opportunities. "The conference armed me with vital tools and resources that can be utilized...I am ready to put to those tools to use," said Derrick Johnson (Academic Coach at Woodlawn Magnet in Birmingham, AL.)

Although the coaches are beginning a little later than most, they are ready to start making an impact on the lives of student-athletes. Find out more about the new Academic Coaches.

We Need Your Input

Lightbulb going off We want to know what is happening in your neck of the woods. Who knows that better than you? Keep us in the loop by sending us updates about your program.

If your program and student-athletes are receiving media coverage, let us know

Send us photos and descriptions of Play It Smart events within your program

Have a Play It Smart graduate competing at the next level? Let us know to feature him in the Alumni Report

Keep us informed of events that your program is doing

We want to spread the word about the great things that go on at each Play It Smart school. Send your content to your NFF Fellow.

This newsletter is for YOU, so let us know what you would like to see in it. Academic Coaches share with us your:

Birthday,

Anniversary date, or

Any other significant day

You could submit to us a baby picture or picture of you in the younger days.

We want to make this newsletter something that you look forward to receiving every month. We want to know what interests you!

About Play It Smart

For more than sixty years, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc., (NFF) has worked to fulfill its mission: "to promote the power of amateur football in developing the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship, competitive zeal and the drive for academic excellence in America's young people." Read...

Thank you for taking the time to read The Extra Point.

Sincerely,

Play It Smart Staff

The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, Inc.

Turning Football Teams into Learning Teams